CVS Careside

UX Research + Service Design through Storytelling Techniques

Senior UX Designer | CVS Health | 3 Months

How can we use UX Research + Service Design to shape the program's strategy - enrollment and engagement rates - from a patient's POV vs operational/business POV?

The goal is to present the findings in an engaging, storytelling format to help stakeholders understand, in order to gain trust + buy-in, making the the most beneficial changes

Design Process

Use 5 different methods to collect data > make lofis > hifis > feedback > iterate > present

Role

As Senior UX Designer, I was the sole service designer/researcher for this project. I established the project plan, types of research, organized key findings then ideated ways to improve from a service design perspective.

I worked with the Program Director to confirm program accuracy + help piece aspects together + a UI designer to bring lofis to life. Then outreach to: Patient Experience Specialists + real clients.

Goal

Design engaging storytelling artifacts to shape the CVS Careside program through a patient-first perspective vs a business operational POV

Outcome

Stakeholders really understanding the program leading to deeper insights + trust to make optimizations

Project Details

Research Methods

Method 1

Method 1

Method 1

Direct Patient Interviews

Calling patients directly, asking them open-ended questions about their experience

Method 2

Method 2

Method 2

Competitive Analysis

Researching with the assistance of AI

Method 3

Method 3

Method 3

Focus Groups

Group open-ended questions with the Patient Experience Specialist (PES) (people calling patients, trying to enroll in program)

Method 4

Method 4

Method 4

Observational Listening

Listening to phone recordings of PES calling to recruit potential patients

Method 5

Method 5

Method 5

Academic Literature

Reading published papers on best practices for: home healthcare + healthcare marketing

Pain Points

Pain Points

Pain Points

  • Keep her brother out of the hospital

  • Get help managing his health, like staying on top of appointments and medications

  • Feel supported and less stressed as a caregiver

Goals

Goals

Goals

The Relieved Caregiver

Sharon, a sister caring for her brother, initially felt overwhelmed managing all his health needs alone and sought extra help to keep up.

The Relieved Caregiver

Sharon, a sister caring for her brother, initially felt overwhelmed managing all his health needs alone and sought extra help to keep up.

The Relieved Caregiver

Sharon, a sister caring for her brother, initially felt overwhelmed managing all his health needs alone and sought extra help to keep up.

  • Keeping up with all her brother's conditions and medications

  • Scheduling and managing multiple appointments

"They know what they're doing - the conversation is always about what’s best for the patient. And their follow up"
"They know what they're doing - the conversation is always about what’s best for the patient. And their follow up"
"They know what they're doing - the conversation is always about what’s best for the patient. And their follow up"

Pain Points

Pain Points

Pain Points

  • Understand her mother's diagnosis and medications better

  • Get quick help with ordering necessary medical equipment

  • Find peace of mind and support for herself as a caregiver

Goals

Goals

Goals

The Worried Daughter

Mary's daughter, overwhelmed by her mother's dementia diagnosis and medications, learned about Careside from another caregiver’s positive experience, which gave her trust in the service.

The Worried Daughter

Mary's daughter, overwhelmed by her mother's dementia diagnosis and medications, learned about Careside from another caregiver’s positive experience, which gave her trust in the service.

The Worried Daughter

Mary's daughter, overwhelmed by her mother's dementia diagnosis and medications, learned about Careside from another caregiver’s positive experience, which gave her trust in the service.
“After my mom was diagnosed with dementia, I was scared and not eating...After the NP explained the dx, I immediately felt relieved because I understood what it meant and what to expect”
“After my mom was diagnosed with dementia, I was scared and not eating...After the NP explained the dx, I immediately felt relieved because I understood what it meant and what to expect”
“After my mom was diagnosed with dementia, I was scared and not eating...After the NP explained the dx, I immediately felt relieved because I understood what it meant and what to expect”

  • Confusion and fear surrounding her mother's dementia diagnosis

  • The slow and difficult process of ordering equipment through her regular doctor

  • Feeling worried and overwhelmed

Pain Points

Pain Points

Pain Points

  • Get better help with his medications

  • Avoid the hassle and difficulty of leaving his home for appts

  • Receive kind and respectful care from his providers

Goals

Goals

Goals

The Homebody

Jim, 68, uses a wheelchair due to heart issues and struggles with daily tasks and appointments. He was surprised to learn at-home visits were possible.

The Homebody

Jim, 68, uses a wheelchair due to heart issues and struggles with daily tasks and appointments. He was surprised to learn at-home visits were possible.

The Homebody

Jim, 68, uses a wheelchair due to heart issues and struggles with daily tasks and appointments. He was surprised to learn at-home visits were possible.
"They're coming to your home - they know how to talk to people"
"They're coming to your home - they know how to talk to people"
"They're coming to your home - they know how to talk to people"

  • The challenge of getting a special van and being moved into his wheelchair to go to appointments

  • Having to deal with a "bossy" + impersonal PCP

  • Problems with his pharmacy getting medications

Going the extra mile

Going the extra mile

Going the extra mile

The comfort of home

The comfort of home

The comfort of home

Fast action + peace of mind

Fast action + peace of mind

Fast action + peace of mind

What's Working

Opportunities

Emphasize medication help

Emphasize medication help

Emphasize medication help

Proactive list of benefits

Proactive list of benefits

Proactive list of benefits

Stress "In-Home" visit

Stress "In-Home" visit

Stress "In-Home" visit

Caregiver is secondary patient

Caregiver is secondary patient

Caregiver is secondary patient

Word of mouth is powerful

Word of mouth is powerful

Word of mouth is powerful

Aha! moments are small wins

Aha! moments are small wins

Aha! moments are small wins

Deeper Insights

From here, the Marketing team can take the messaging that's resonating with users and apply it directly into campaigns; Operationally, we know where to invest more money for greater ROI (caregiver network + get into hospitals to build relationships)

Data Sourced from Direct Patient Interviews

01 / Direct Interviews - Meet Our Users

A Day in the Life

Data Sourced from personal research

02 / Competitive Analysis

I created a Research Guidebook - a mega excel file that has everything in 1 place - it's invaluable. Before everything was scattered in random decks or in people's personal memory. I handed this doc over to the Marketing team so they could easily see the metrics across competitiors when creating copy and messaging.

View Research Guidebook

View Research Guidebook

View Research Guidebook

What's Working

  • Conversation techniques to build trust + empathy
  • Being direct + useful
  • Setting expectations
  • Partnering with hospitals
  • Leveraging CVS Health name
  • Immediately verifying info

What's Working

What's Working

  • Conversation techniques to build trust + empathy
  • Being direct + useful
  • Setting expectations
  • Partnering with hospitals
  • Leveraging CVS Health name
  • Immediately verifying info

What's Working

What's Working

  • Conversation techniques to build trust + empathy
  • Being direct + useful
  • Setting expectations
  • Partnering with hospitals
  • Leveraging CVS Health name
  • Immediately verifying info

What's Working

  • Patient confusion between Aetna, CVS Careside + their PCP

  • Lack of tangible materials

  • Lack of internal coordination

  • The "Cost" convo

What's Not

  • Patient confusion between Aetna, CVS Careside + their PCP

  • Lack of tangible materials

  • Lack of internal coordination

  • The "Cost" convo

What's Not

  • Patient confusion between Aetna, CVS Careside + their PCP

  • Lack of tangible materials

  • Lack of internal coordination

  • The "Cost" convo

What's Not

Data Sourced from Group Open-Ended Interview with agents that are directly enrolling patients in the program

03 / Focus Groups

"No one was like "this doesn't make sense" - they were helpful thought-starters to get the people into the workshop quickly"

[In reference to user journey maps]

Do


  1. Say CVS Careside Immediately

- introduce yourself as a CVS Careide team member partnering with Aetna
- state “this is not a sales call”
- state purpose “I’m calling about your hospital visit”


2. Offer immediate, concrete solutions - free shakes, transportation, etc. 


3. Frame it as "optimum care" or "an extra check" for a patient's well-being


4. Directly call doctor offices to resolve issue or make warm hand-offs 


5. Provide an agenda of call 


6. Use human, empathic language as if you were talking to a friend 


7. Directly state towards beginning of call - “This is a no-cost benefit of your Aetna pan”


8. Use calendar or personal reminder system to set follow ups as promised

Do


  1. Say CVS Careside Immediately

- introduce yourself as a CVS Careide team member partnering with Aetna
- state “this is not a sales call”
- state purpose “I’m calling about your hospital visit”


2. Offer immediate, concrete solutions - free shakes, transportation, etc. 


3. Frame it as "optimum care" or "an extra check" for a patient's well-being


4. Directly call doctor offices to resolve issue or make warm hand-offs 


5. Provide an agenda of call 


6. Use human, empathic language as if you were talking to a friend 


7. Directly state towards beginning of call - “This is a no-cost benefit of your Aetna pan”


8. Use calendar or personal reminder system to set follow ups as promised

Do


  1. Say CVS Careside Immediately

- introduce yourself as a CVS Careide team member partnering with Aetna
- state “this is not a sales call”
- state purpose “I’m calling about your hospital visit”


2. Offer immediate, concrete solutions - free shakes, transportation, etc. 


3. Frame it as "optimum care" or "an extra check" for a patient's well-being


4. Directly call doctor offices to resolve issue or make warm hand-offs 


5. Provide an agenda of call 


6. Use human, empathic language as if you were talking to a friend 


7. Directly state towards beginning of call - “This is a no-cost benefit of your Aetna pan”


8. Use calendar or personal reminder system to set follow ups as promised

Don't

 

  1. Cause more confusion for the patient by saying: 

    • “CVS Healthspire”, “CVS Caremark” "Calling from CVS on behalf of Aetna"

    • "I'm partnered with aetna calling to..."

    • "Hi, I'm calling on behalf of Aetna"  without mentioning CVS Careside

  2. Make patients question who is calling or why

  3. Rattle off long list of medical jargon benefits

  4. Frame it in a way where the patient could respond “I don’t need this, I’m healthy”

  5. Don’t give pt a another phone number or tell them to call an 800 number or dr office 

  6. Jump right in without giving the pt of what exactly will happen on call “What are we scheduling?...I though we we’re doing the evaluation in this call?”

  7. Use clinical language or intense jargon

  8. Wait to disclose the cost - patients won’t be fully listening bc they’ll be thinking “how much is this? / what’s the catch?”

  9. Forget to follow up “I haven't really heard anything back. I got the idea I wasn't gonna be getting it"



 






Don't

 

  1. Cause more confusion for the patient by saying: 

    • “CVS Healthspire”, “CVS Caremark” "Calling from CVS on behalf of Aetna"

    • "I'm partnered with aetna calling to..."

    • "Hi, I'm calling on behalf of Aetna"  without mentioning CVS Careside

  2. Make patients question who is calling or why

  3. Rattle off long list of medical jargon benefits

  4. Frame it in a way where the patient could respond “I don’t need this, I’m healthy”

  5. Don’t give pt a another phone number or tell them to call an 800 number or dr office 

  6. Jump right in without giving the pt of what exactly will happen on call “What are we scheduling?...I though we we’re doing the evaluation in this call?”

  7. Use clinical language or intense jargon

  8. Wait to disclose the cost - patients won’t be fully listening bc they’ll be thinking “how much is this? / what’s the catch?”

  9. Forget to follow up “I haven't really heard anything back. I got the idea I wasn't gonna be getting it"



 






Don't

 

  1. Cause more confusion for the patient by saying: 

    • “CVS Healthspire”, “CVS Caremark” "Calling from CVS on behalf of Aetna"

    • "I'm partnered with aetna calling to..."

    • "Hi, I'm calling on behalf of Aetna"  without mentioning CVS Careside

  2. Make patients question who is calling or why

  3. Rattle off long list of medical jargon benefits

  4. Frame it in a way where the patient could respond “I don’t need this, I’m healthy”

  5. Don’t give pt a another phone number or tell them to call an 800 number or dr office 

  6. Jump right in without giving the pt of what exactly will happen on call “What are we scheduling?...I though we we’re doing the evaluation in this call?”

  7. Use clinical language or intense jargon

  8. Wait to disclose the cost - patients won’t be fully listening bc they’ll be thinking “how much is this? / what’s the catch?”

  9. Forget to follow up “I haven't really heard anything back. I got the idea I wasn't gonna be getting it"



 






Listening to recorded phone calls between agents + patients

04 / Observational Listening

Data Sourced from personal research: Home-Based Care + Healthcare Marketing

05 / Academic Literature

Human-Centered Care is a Priority

Patients really value human connection with their doctors, along with feeling empowered to make decisions and understand their own health. It's more than clinical care - it's about building trust and clarity.




Human-Centered Care is a Priority

Patients really value human connection with their doctors, along with feeling empowered to make decisions and understand their own health. It's more than clinical care - it's about building trust and clarity.




Human-Centered Care is a Priority

Patients really value human connection with their doctors, along with feeling empowered to make decisions and understand their own health. It's more than clinical care - it's about building trust and clarity.




Integrated Care Eases Patient Burden

Patients with chronic conditions often feel overwhelmed by coordinating their own care. Integrated care models, like those at CVS Careside, directly address this by simplifying a complex system and providing seamless support.


Integrated Care Eases Patient Burden

Patients with chronic conditions often feel overwhelmed by coordinating their own care. Integrated care models, like those at CVS Careside, directly address this by simplifying a complex system and providing seamless support.


Integrated Care Eases Patient Burden

Patients with chronic conditions often feel overwhelmed by coordinating their own care. Integrated care models, like those at CVS Careside, directly address this by simplifying a complex system and providing seamless support.


Homebased Care Improves Outcomes

Research strongly supports that home-based primary care can lead to better patient and caregiver satisfaction, improved outcomes, and lower costs. It also helps prevent readmissions and addresses needs before they become emergencies.

Homebased Care Improves Outcomes

Research strongly supports that home-based primary care can lead to better patient and caregiver satisfaction, improved outcomes, and lower costs. It also helps prevent readmissions and addresses needs before they become emergencies.

Homebased Care Improves Outcomes

Research strongly supports that home-based primary care can lead to better patient and caregiver satisfaction, improved outcomes, and lower costs. It also helps prevent readmissions and addresses needs before they become emergencies.

Mary Naylor's Transitional Care Model

This model, led by nurses, helps high-risk, chronically ill patients as they move from the hospital to their home. It's been proven to reduce rehospitalizations and lower overall healthcare costs, while also improving the patient's and caregiver's quality of life.

Mary Naylor's Transitional Care Model

This model, led by nurses, helps high-risk, chronically ill patients as they move from the hospital to their home. It's been proven to reduce rehospitalizations and lower overall healthcare costs, while also improving the patient's and caregiver's quality of life.

Mary Naylor's Transitional Care Model

This model, led by nurses, helps high-risk, chronically ill patients as they move from the hospital to their home. It's been proven to reduce rehospitalizations and lower overall healthcare costs, while also improving the patient's and caregiver's quality of life.

Healthcare Marketing Best Practices

  1. Provide transparent accessible info

  2. Share testimonials + case studies

  3. Publish patient outcome data

  4. Offer clear language

  5. Engage the community

Healthcare Marketing Best Practices

  1. Provide transparent accessible info

  2. Share testimonials + case studies

  3. Publish patient outcome data

  4. Offer clear language

  5. Engage the community

Healthcare Marketing Best Practices

  1. Provide transparent accessible info

  2. Share testimonials + case studies

  3. Publish patient outcome data

  4. Offer clear language

  5. Engage the community

Storytelling Deliverables

Interactive User Journey Maps

Have a tangible way that stakeholders can see each step of the program, a visual timeline.

Design Decision
At every step, show all the touch points the user is interacting with; have a solid image that can be used in workshops to brainstorm deeper insights.

Be honest - show both the highs and lows to build credibility; include direct patient quotes so each step is backed by data + research

Try Interactive Journey Map

Try Interactive Journey Map

Try Interactive Journey Map

AI Generated Patient Stories Videos

Take the user's journey from paper to a realistic story with AI generated characters, making the user understand the patient's pain and struggle. Used HeyGen. to produce.

Design Decision: Bring the user's story to life - it's too expensive/difficult to interview real patients, but use AI to create story to convey the same impact. 1000000% more impactful than a static user persona yet tells the same message

AI Generated Storybook

Have the user understand the patient's journey in the form of storytelling via an actual children's book. Written as an elementary level to turn complex issues into super easy to understand concepts. Used beta "Storytelling" feature in Gemini Beta Labs

Decision Design: Simplicity is key! When the jargon becomes too medical, people drop off / we lose the human component

Service Design Recommendations Based on Research

Recco 1

Recco 1

Recco 1

Have 1 point of contact + space out visits

Inspired by Mary Naylor's research, reduce the number of hands off by having 1 nurse through the duration of the episode of care. Do a pilot of this in 1 area to test effectiveness

Recco 2

Recco 2

Recco 2

Create a Tangible Toolbox

Too much is verbally conveyed without not enough tangible paperwork or tools. Older patients are confused and overwhelmed, especially right after an operation or hospital stay. Most times, the information goes right over their heads, resulting in missed opportunities to connect

Recco 5

Recco 5

Recco 5

Involve Caregivers from the Beginning

Patients have a much higher success rate of following through in the program when caregivers are actively involved in their care plan. Additionally, caregivers can provide insights about the patient/their living conditions that the patient might not recall (ie: stairs getting into the home)

Recco 3

Recco 3

Recco 3

Enhance Hospital Connections

Patients trust word-of-mouth referrals from friends and trusted members of their community or providers. Build relationships with hospital staff to increase likelihood of them recommending CVS Careside

Recco 4

Recco 4

Recco 4

Improve Outreach Scripts

Inspired by observational listening - speak to the patients in their language - not clinical, overwhelming dialogue. Make it a conversational vs salesy/scammy.

"So impressed by the thoughtfulness and work that went into this presentation…We can even use these insights for the OSH program - they're so good"

-VP, Stakeholder

Presenting Data to Stakeholders

Framework to Present Data

  1. What's Working Well

  2. What's Not - Why Engagement Fails - Observations with direct quotes

  3. What's Not - Why Enrollment Fails - Observations with direct quotes

  4. Recommendations

  5. Actionable Paths to Execute on Reccomendations with Timeline to make trade-off convo easier

Lessons Learned

The Good

Really exciting working on service design side of things - I can now apply these skills to every project moving forward. Understanding the user flow + creative storytelling is invaluable!

The Bad

The project had to be rooted in very, very practical solutions that could be executed today (not "build a super app"). It was hard to present options that didn't seem that "innovative" yet still prove credibility

Opportunities

CVS Careside is a new program, so we had to tread lightly and speak carefully around the program's downfalls. I learned to always give people an opportunity to present their ideas, alongside my own, to make the conversation feel like a collaboration vs steamrolling people's baby